A tourist poses in 2011 next to a Banksy mural in Park City, Utah, one of two murals by the elusive graffiti artist that were damaged by a vandal on New Year's Eve. / Chris Detrick AP

by Maria Puente, USA TODAY

by Maria Puente, USA TODAY

The vandal-turned-million-dollar-artist has been vandalized. A mural painting in Utah by Banksy, maestro of the spray-paint can, has been spray-painted over, possibly ruining it.

It happened on New Year's Eve in Park City, Utah, host town of the Sundance Film Festival, according to the Associated Press.

Two paintings by the mysterious British graffiti artist were discovered damaged: One, a mural that depicted a young boy with a pink halo and angel wings kneeling to pray behind a can of pink paint, was covered in brown spray paint and the clear protective covering over it had been shattered.

The second mural, depicting a cameraman stooping to shoot video footage of a flower, was not defaced, but its covering had been cracked.

It was not immediately clear whether the defaced painting could be repaired or how much it is worth. However, Banksy, once dismissed as a mere vandal, is now a world-famous street artist whose works have sold at auction for up to seven figures, even as his true identity has been cloaked.

Also not immediately clear is a motive. But police in Park City have surveillance video showing a male suspect tampering with the artworks about 2 a.m. Tuesday.

It is not known what Banksy might think of this since he doesn't do press conferences. Besides, his philosophy of art is mostly aimed at thumbing his nose at art-world conventions, for which the art market has lionized him nevertheless.

The two Banksy paintings first appeared in Park City in 2010 when Banksy was in town for the debut of his documentary, Exit Through the Gift Shop, at Sundance. At first some townsfolk were outraged at the "unauthorized" art but soon the city embraced the murals, now among the most-photographed sites in town.

The elusive Banksy, who does his thing when no art-world types are looking and then disappears, is known for silhouetted figures and spray-painted messages that show up in unexpected places. He mainly communicates through a website.

Last month, a Banksy mural stenciled on the side of a Hollywood gas station five years ago fetched more than $200,000 at a Beverly Hills auction.

In October, (some) New Yorkers were thrilled to learn through social media that Banksy was in town and leaving his artworks on walls hither and yon. At one point, he claimed to have set up a stall in Central Park where he sold original signed works for only $60 apiece.

Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All
rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.